Reflective Essay Topics

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Reflective Essay Topics

One of the most intimidating assignments in college is the reflective essay, graded by a professor on paper using a rubric. Reflective essays are regularly assigned in literature courses, humanities courses, and some science classes. This assignment aims to demonstrate an understanding of course material through written reflection. If you need help tackling your essay using any on the reflective essay topics below feel free to use our cheap case study writing service and get a unique and plagiarism free essay.

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What is a Reflective Essay?

Reflective essays analyze the subject matter and connect between events in a book or work with connections to one’s own experiences. Students may be required to choose a specific topic or be left to their own devices. Some schools allow students to choose, while others do not. 

This paper aims to teach you how to find a topic that will earn you the best grade possible so that you hopefully won’t have this kind of experience again. Ensure you also understand how to write a reflective essay.

How to Choose a Topic for a Reflective Essay?

This subject is entirely up to you. Here are a few tips to help you choose a topic:

1. Choose a topic that interests you

The first step is to think about what you learned from your course. Write down the things that stuck out in your mind and the readings that you found enjoyable or informative. After you have a list of topics, try to find connections between them to form a thesis statement about what you learned in class. For example, if you read the novel “Pride and Prejudice” in class, you can connect it to the concept of agency. 

2. Study your topics

Readings are a great source of ideas, but we live in the internet age. Reading can help you obtain a certain amount of knowledge on similar topics, but studying is what will make you an expert. You need to study a topic and not just be able to find certain information online. Students who only use libraries as a source of information often get lower grades than those that do extensive research and make connections between readings.

3. Choose the right format

One of the most important parts of a reflective essay is how your professor wants you to organize it. The recommended format for writing a reflective essay is to have an introduction, body paragraphs about specific ideas, and a conclusion at the end. For an introductory paragraph, you should have a thesis statement describing what your professor wants you to write about and any relevant information. Then you can highlight what you read through in class and draw connections that can be used in your paper. 

Here is a good example of a personal reflective essay on the basics of personal finance.

Reflective Essay Topics for Middle School Students

There are so many wonderful topics to choose from and focus on. Here are a few examples based on different grades. 

Grade 7

1. Time you lied

2. Camping outdoors

3. Favorite Holiday

4. School you would never attend

5. Something that you dream of doing in life

6. A favorite movie

7. Something that makes you happy/sad

8. An embarrassing moment/experience in class

Grade 8

1. What is your biggest fear in life

2. What makes you happy/sad

3. Favorite place to live

4. What would I do if I were super rich

5. Your best friend growing up and now

6. Favorite Teacher and why

7. What is your favorite family tradition

8. Favorite holiday

9. Something you wish you could do over again

10. Favorite subject in school and why?

Grade 9

1. Who I would want to spend my last day with

2. Dream Job

3. Something that I am proud of

4 . Worst gift given/received

5 . Person That Made My Life Better 

6 . Worst habit

7 . A best friend from past/present

8 . A person I would be friends with if I met them

9 . A hero to me and why

10 . Something about my future that scares me the most and why? 

Relative Essay Prompts For High School Students

The more you advance in your education, the more complex your reflective essays will be. You will need to involve your critical thinking skills to tackle these subjects well.

1. What is your biggest fear in life?

2. Most Successful Experience

3. Something I am most proud of

4 . A Day Without Technology

5 . A dream vacation

6 . Something I have learned recently

7 . Something that I wish would change in the world

8 . An embarrassing moment 

9 . Where do you want to live after high school?

10. What are your plans after high school? 

Reflective Essay Topics for College Students

The hardest part of writing a reflective essay for college students is deciding on a topic. Some students are more adept at selecting the essay topic than others, and some will get stuck here.

For your convenience, here is a list of some top college students’ reflection essay topics:

1. The impact of social media on students.

2. Childhood dream

3. A relatable moment

4. What is your favorite hobby or interest, and why is it important to you?

5 . Your worst habit, and why do you do it? 

6 . If you had a chance to switch lives with someone at this point, who would it be and why? 

7 . Something you remember telling your parents when you were a kid, and how they responded?

8 . The biggest difference between then and now

9 . Most inspirational/inspiring teacher in your life? 

10. A moment in your life that was most significant to you. 

Reflective Essay Topics about Places

Sometimes the best reflection essays are ones about places. These themes can be difficult to formulate, and you might want to factor in some concrete examples to make them less abstract.

1. What is your favorite place on earth?

2. Your favorite pastime, and why?

3. What is one thing you learned from a trip that changed your life? 

4 . Describe a typical day living in New York City or any other major city in the U.S., and why you chose it as your home.

5 . What is your favorite place to visit?

6 . Is a particular place special to you in any way? Explain why or why not and support your answer with personal experiences and specific examples.

7 . What is the best experience you have ever had in the classroom? 

8 . Describe a place, event, or situation that made you feel good about yourself. 

9 . If you could change one thing about how you live now, what would it be, and why? 

10. Tell us about a special place that has been a source of strength in your life. 

Reflective Essay Topics about Events

You will want to be very open and honest when writing about events. You will want to make sure that you describe the event in a way that allows your reader to feel as if they were there.

1 . If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

2 . What is your favorite holiday and why? 

3 . If you could choose a superpower, which one would you have and why?

4 . After reading about the Declaration of Independence in class, what are your thoughts on it and how does it relate to life today? What does this historical document mean to you? 

5 . Describe a time when someone was kind enough to help you out.

6 . Describe a time when you were kind enough to help someone out.

7 . How did you feel after attending college orientation? 

8 . What were your goals coming into this class and how are they changing? 

9 . What did you think of the book, and how does it relate to your life? 

10. Describe your favorite teacher and why you chose them. 

Reflective Essay Topics about First Experience

The first experience is always the most memorable, whether it is an unforgettable vacation or a funny childhood memory. It is important to reflect on the first experiences that shaped you into the person you are today.

1. My first crush

2. Best First Date

3. First Award

4. First step in college

5. First day of school

6. First time I was proud of myself

7 . What was your first impression of your friend? 8. My first job

9. The best experience I had while learning a new thing

10. The first vacation my parents ever took me to

Reflective Essay Topics about Family

Family is always a topic that you can include in your reflective essay. You will want to talk about how your family has helped shape you and how this has influenced the person you are today. 

1. Describe your first family trip and why you remember it so well.

2. How did your family influence you? Why? 

3. What was the best gift you received from your family, and why was it special to you? 

4. If I could pick one person in my family to be stranded on a desert island with, who would it be and why? 

5. Describe a time when you felt most supported by family.

6. One thing your family has taught you or helped you with? 

7. What would be the hardest to overcome if you had to leave home for college or another place? 

8. Describe an experience in which your family was not supportive and why it was a problem. 

9. Describe your most memorable family event and how it was impacted by technology.

10. Describe a unique event at home or in your family and how you feel about it now.

Reflective Essay Topics about Nature

Nature is a topic that can easily be incorporated into a college student essay. Talk about how nature has impacted your life and choices. If you choose this theme, it is best to ensure that you include sensory details (such as smell, feel, and sight) to increase the impact of your essay.

1 . Describe one of your favorite outdoor experiences

2 . One thing you learned about nature while camping

3 . What last outdoor experience made you realize something about nature? 

4 . What does the environment mean to you?

5 . Describe the worst natural disaster you have ever experienced. 

6 . What was your last experience of nature that stood out to you?

7 . Do you enjoy being outdoors? Why or why not, and what do you like about it?

8 . Describe a phenomenal natural event.

9 . What was the most frustrating experience outdoors? 

10 . If you could choose one animal on its own, what would it be and why?

Reflective Essay Topics on Relationships

Sometimes the best reflective essay topics are relationships. These essays can easily encompass personal and professional relationships, and they often have a significant transformation or realization as the essay progresses.

1. If someone nice was your best friend, what would you do with them?

2. Describe your most supportive and unsupportive bosses

3. How has working at a job influenced you? How has it affected you?

4. What was the best experience during the internship?

5. Tell us about the first time you made good friends.

6. Describe a good relationship with anyone and how it affected you. 

7. Describe a good relationship with a teacher and how it has changed you. 

8. Describe the best relationship you have ever had. 

9. If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?

10. Give us an idea of a terrible relationship and why it was so bad.

Writing an amazing reflection essay is all about understanding your audience and the purpose of your reflection essay before writing. Our goal is to help you create an inspiring and powerful reflection essay that will make a difference in your life. Remember that the best way to do this is, to be honest, open-minded, and original. You can also use our essay generator that will gurantee you a quality essay and also save time.

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Categories: Essay Topics